Access flooring is a common feature of many computer, media and communication rooms. Being raised above a concrete slab or other sub-floor by pedestals, access flooring provides underlying space to conceal and arrange cabling and other service items used to operate the computers or other interactive equipment located within the room. The space beneath access flooring also allows air to distribute therethrough in a manner that can be controlled, say, by underfloor air conditioning systems, thus assisting to control the temperature of the room. Access flooring also provides some degree of noise attenuation and vibration dampening properties desirable in an office environment.
The interconnecting panels which define the surface of an access floor are designed to be readily taken up and rearranged, upon prior removal of any overlying carpet or other floor coverings, when upgrading of the computers and other interactive equipment is required. The panels, as well as the pedestals which support them, also need to withstand, and provide long-term stability against, considerable static and dynamic loads.
Although, by and large, most access flooring performs well, an unacceptable level of noise may still be created when the metal to metal contacting components of each pedestal are subject to relative movement, say, through their expansion or contraction arising from temperature variation, or by movement of a load thereon.
These contacting metal components of each pedestal also allow vibration to be readily conducted therethrough, with the result that any vibration sensitive component of the computers and other interactive equipment may be subject to gradual diminution of its effectiveness or failure. A sensation of walking on a hard floor, and the lower leg strain that may arise from walking thereon for extended periods, are a further result of having all components of the pedestal being readily conductive to vibration. The vibrations generated by the impact shock of foot steps are reflected back from the sub-floor to the feet walking on the access floor.
The aforementioned noise and vibration related problems have been addressed in the inventor's earlier Australian Patent No. 2006 200 759, incorporated herein by reference.
However, in providing a pedestal for an access floor that creates a slight separation between adjacent edges of adjacent panels sufficient to prevent transmission of noise and vibration therebetween, the gaps so created between the panels allow any pressurised air in the underfloor space to escape or leak into the room. Such leakage of pressurised air also occurs in earlier access flooring where the panels supported by pedestals were not intended to have a slight separation therebetween.
This is a particular concern as underfloor air conditioning systems are becoming increasingly popular given their greater energy efficiency over conventional air conditioning systems. Any leakage of pressurised air between the panels reduces the desired pressure of conditioned air in the underfloor space and leads to less effective release of air conditioned air at desired locations through the floor where optimal air conditioning of the room is sought.